Substrate transfer mechanisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10453733-B2
Application number	US-201815905400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2018
Priority date	Jan 9, 2015
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

In one embodiment, a substrate support assembly includes a susceptor for supporting a substrate, and a supporting transfer mechanism coupled to the susceptor, the supporting transfer mechanism having a surface for supporting a peripheral edge of the substrate, the supporting transfer mechanism being movable relative to an upper surface of the susceptor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate support assembly, comprising:
a susceptor for supporting a substrate, the susceptor having a recessed surface with one or more ridges extending therefrom;
a supporting transfer mechanism coupled to the susceptor, the supporting transfer mechanism having a surface for supporting a peripheral edge of the substrate, the supporting transfer mechanism being movable relative to an upper surface of the susceptor;
a plurality of lift pins for supporting the susceptor; and
a plurality of support pins positioned radially outward of the plurality of lift pins.

2. The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the supporting transfer mechanism comprises a ring.

3. The substrate support assembly of claim 2 , wherein the ring has a first gap.

4. The substrate support assembly of claim 3 , wherein the ring has a second gap opposing the first gap.

5. The substrate support assembly of claim 3 , wherein the recessed surface is sized to receive the ring.

6. The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein the supporting transfer mechanism comprises a plurality of ring segments.

7. The substrate support assembly of claim 6 , wherein the susceptor comprises a recessed portion sized to receive the ring segments.

8. The substrate support assembly of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of lift pins are independently movable relative to the plurality of support pins.

9. The substrate support assembly of claim 8 , wherein each of the support pins comprises a flared head disposed on a shaft.

10. The substrate support assembly of claim 9 , wherein the flared head comprises a sloped surface.

11. A substrate support assembly, comprising:
a susceptor having a recessed surface with one or more ridges extending therefrom;
a supporting transfer mechanism having a surface for supporting a substrate, the supporting transfer mechanism being movable relative to an upper surface of the susceptor and adapted to nest within the recessed surface of the susceptor;
a plurality of lift pins for supporting the susceptor; and
a plurality of support pins positioned radially outward of the plurality of lift pins.

12. The substrate support assembly of claim 11 , wherein the supporting transfer mechanism comprises a detachable support plate.

13. The substrate support assembly of claim 11 , wherein each of the one or more ridges comprise indexing features that interface with the supporting transfer mechanism.

14. The substrate support assembly of claim 11 , wherein the supporting transfer mechanism comprises a ring.

15. The substrate support assembly of claim 14 , wherein the ring has a first gap.

16. The substrate support assembly of claim 15 , wherein the ring has a second gap opposing the first gap.

17. The substrate support assembly of claim 11 , wherein the supporting transfer mechanism comprises a plurality of ring segments.

18. A substrate support assembly, comprising:
a susceptor having a recessed surface with one or more ridges extending therefrom;
a ring having a surface for supporting a substrate and sized to nest within the recessed surface, the ring being movable relative to an upper surface of the susceptor;
a plurality of lift pins for supporting the susceptor; and
a plurality of support pins positioned radially outward of the plurality of lift pins.

19. The substrate support assembly of claim 18 , wherein the ring has a first gap.

20. The substrate support assembly of claim 19 , wherein the ring has a second gap opposing the first gap.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Ishii Masato
• Samir Mehmet Tugrul
• Lau Shu-Kwan
• Tobin Jeffrey

Classifications

• H10P72/7618

  characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating carrousel · CPC title

• H10P72/7611

  characterised by edge profile or support profile · CPC title

• H10P72/7602 Primary

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title

• H10P72/3306

  Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece · CPC title

• H10P72/0436 Primary

  mainly by radiation · CPC title